


Tied Tighter

by MiraculousCougar (PumaConcolor)



Series: Red Ribbons and Green Hair Clips [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, I only have a general idea, I'M WINGING IT LET'S GO, Mostly Fluff, Slow Burn, well at least i'm aiming for slow burn and fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2018-08-22 15:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8291347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumaConcolor/pseuds/MiraculousCougar
Summary: Honestly, it was surprising how a haircut changed so much in their relationship.





	1. Red Ribbons

**Author's Note:**

> And here we go, the sequel to "Cut Loose", which I recommend reading before this one since it's only 2k and helps with the setting for this one.
> 
> I'm tired, pls take this, will revise when my brain goes back to functioning.

Six steps to the right, turn, six steps to the left, turn, repeat. Marinette had been pacing for the past ten minutes, but all Adrien could think about was how cute his lady looked while pouting. Really, no one could fault him for the dreamy smile that refused to leave his lips. Afterall, the girl of his dreams turned out to be his crush (not that he would have admitted to it if Marinette wasn’t his lady; he already had enough trouble convincing her of his feelings without cute classmates in the equation).

Still, no matter how cute it was, Marinette was already doing a bit of damage to the grass. Ten minutes ought to be enough for her to settle a little bit, right? And they still had to eat…

“My lady?”

Marinette made a sharp turn, staring at him intensely.

Adrien gulped, his mind going blank.

After five minutes of awkward silence and a lot of staring, Marinette sighed, shoulders slumping. Shaking her head, she looked right back in his eyes.

“Do… Do you want to go to my place? We can have lunch and then talk about… about _this_.”

Adrien didn’t know why, but for some reason it hurt. Maybe it was the look in her eyes, or the lack of her stutter, or even the way she referred to them as this.

Probably a mix of all three.

Silently nodding, Adrien trailed after her deep in thought. Was Chat really that repulsive to her? Adrien wasn’t as dense as people thought, sure, his upbringing made him slower when it came to recognizing when someone liked him, but Marinette’s crush was deep. It took him a while, but he did notice it. And knowing that made the change in Marinette’s behaviour even more telling.

All fantasies Adrien had come up with during the last couple hours since connecting Ladybug to Marinette fell apart. Something about Chat, something about who he considered to be his _true_ self, obviously didn’t sit well with his lady.

Truly, it was depressing.

Adrien looked ahead, focusing on Marinette’s hair. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t know how he never noticed his lady right behind him. Even if he considered her change in personality when talking to him, he still saw her in other situations. Marinette and Ladybug had easily become one in his head.

It was so stupid of him to not realize it sooner. Marinette didn’t have any drastic changes of style when transformed, even her red ribbons were similar to the ties she usually wore.

God, he’d miss seeing those ribbons. Maybe it was the cat in him, but there was something entrancing about the way they moved. He often wished they were longer, just so he could chase them.

All too soon, they stood in front of Marinette’s house, and all he hoped for was that the only thing he lost was the sight of her red ribbons.


	2. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a chat with Chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will proofread this tomorrow, so sorry for any typo/wonky line! Also, I watched Miraculous mostly in French, so Dessinateur = Evillustrator. Though I don't really remember if he was actually called Dessinateur in the episode or if it was just the title. I'll check tomorrow. I'm tired orz
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Marinette closed the door to her bedroom, taking a deep breath. Lunch had been uneventful, as both heroes were too deep in their thoughts and Tom and Sabine were busy in the bakery. Resting her forehead on the wood lightly, Marinette tried to focus on the matter at hand. Adrien was Chat, Chat was Adrien, and it was a good thing, right? The boy she loved was also the partner who she had a slight crush on. See, a good thing! She could totally do this.

Turning around, Marinette realized that no, she couldn’t do this.

Especially with Adrien looking as sad as he was.

Still, it was to be expected. She had thought maybe he was ok with the Ladybug he adored being clumsy Marinette due to how he acted when he figured it out, but seems like that wasn’t the case. With a sigh, Marinette plopped on the chair across from Adrien, making his eyes finally leave the ground and focus on her.

Now all she had to do was start talking.

Which she would do right away.

Any second now.

“Oh, for kwami’s sake! You’re Chat Noir, she’s Ladybug, you both have been working together for almost a year already, talk. It. Out.”

Both heroes looked dumbfounded at the little black cat angrily swishing his tail at them. Plagg had just darted out of Adrien’s cloth, fed up with both charges being, in his words, dumb as fuck. Marinette glanced to her own kwami, just in time to see Tikki roll her eyes.  
“Plagg! Would it hurt to be a little more understanding? It’s a lot for them to take in so suddenly!”

“I am understanding! And I understand that if no one snaps both of them out of being their stupid selves, they’ll just sit here uselessly for the whole lunch break and I see no camembert to keep me from being bored to death while they fail at communicating!”

A tiny red paw clutched a black tail, much like Ladybug sometimes pulled Chat.

Except Chat’s tail wasn’t part of his body.

Marinette and Adrien watched perplexed as Tikki kwami-handled Plagg to the terrace, cheerfully telling the heroes to not mind them and take their time talking.

“I’m never disobeying Tikki again.”

Adrien nodded, fearing for Plagg’s safety at the paws of the adorable red bug.

“So… Her name’s Tikki? I take it she’s not usually like this?”

It was Marinette’s turn to nod, shoulders relaxing a bit. Maybe they could ease into the whole accidental reveal thing by talking about their kwamis and accepting that yeah, secret identities were gone.

“She’s quite sweet, always giving good advice and cheering me on, or lending a ear if I need to talk. Even when I do something wrong or mess things up, she is understanding and kind, though she does make sure I listen to her when it’s something really, really important.” Marinette chuckled, bringing her hands close to her chest, “Sometimes she realizes the only way I’ll learn is to do it wrong, since I can be quite stubborn…”

Adrien laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head.

“She’s nothing like Plagg then… He’s not big on heart to hearts, and instead of advices he’ll encourage me to take bad decisions… Ah, nothing too bad! Just, uh, well, remember my birthday? When Nino got akumatized?”

Marinette nodded, fidgeting a bit when recalling her own mistakes from that day.

“Well, I was going to transform right away once I saw the Bubbler, but Plagg ended up convincing me to party a bit… Truth be told, he didn’t need to say much, I’m not really allowed parties, and even getting permission to hang out with one or two friends is tough when it’s not for study, so…”

Adrien trailed off, looking back down, and Marinette felt helpless. Sadness filled her, along with a desperate need to do something so the boy she liked above everyone else wasn’t sad.

So her precious kitten would finally smile without the ever present hint of a sadness she couldn’t grasp until that day.

Suddenly, the happiness Chat felt when running along rooftops was even more precious.

A small sniffled left Marinette, and Adrien finally looked up again.

...Only to feel his heart break a little more.

See, ever since his mother disappeared, Adrien hadn’t been around people who weren’t expressionless. Obviously they all had feelings, but even now Adrien found it hard to tell what his father or Gorilla were thinking. Nathalie was a bit easier, but usually she only showed a bit of concern and the occasional glimpse of pity. So, it was fairly easy for Adrien to misjudge someone’s emotions, even when that someone was as expressive as Marinette.

And so, in Adrien’s eyes, sadness became disappointment.

“I… I know this must be hard for you, but trust me, it wasn’t my intention to harm anyone! I know I can be pretty selfish, and that I let you down by being Adrien and by not showing up right away when I first saw the Bubbler, heck I don’t even know what to say right now but-”

Marinette couldn’t take it. The second Adrien said he had let her down, tears she was holding fell down, and she got up. Gently, she hugged him, holding him close and burying her head on his hair.

“I would never be let down by you, kitten. You’re an amazing partner and friend as Chat, and someone I really admire and would like to know more as Adrien. You’re one of the kindest person I know, and wanting to party on your birthday does not make you selfish. And… If I got mad at you for not kicking the Bubbler’s ass as soon as you saw him, I’d have to get mad at myself too… I was the selfish one that day.”

Adrien hugged her back just as tightly, head resting on her shoulders, not allowing himself to fully relax just yet.

“So... You’re not disappointed that I’m Adrien?”

“Never, Chaton. You’re amazing, both with and without the mask. Actually… I’m the one worried I let you down…”

Adrien jolted back, making Marinette stumble a bit. Surprised eyes met determined ones, and Adrien helped her regain her balance before speaking.

“My lady… I’m making your words my own. But while I don’t feel like Adrien is my true self, you don’t have one. Both Marinette and Ladybug are the same person, through and through. Sure, you’re a bit more clumsy when out of the suit but everything that I admire and love about you doesn’t go away when you’re out of spots. This… This is something I never thought I tell you, but.. I actually had a crush on you since back when you helped me with the Dessinateur.”

“Wait what?”

Adrien chuckled at Marinette’s aghast expression, rubbing his hair again

“I thought that mentioning that would make it harder for you to believe in my love…”

Marinette pouted a little, which was enough to convince Adrien that he was right. Glancing at the clock, she saw their lunch break was almost over, and she still had not breached the most important subject. Adrien just gave her the best way to bring it up, though.

“About that…” Adrien’s deflated a bit, taking in her serious tone. Marinette gave a small smile. “Listen to me before assuming the worst, Chaton. I don’t doubt your feelings, though it did take a bit of time for me to accept they were real. However…”

Ah, Adrien knew it was too good to be true.

“Well, we shouldn’t act on it for some time. Not only because we discovered our identities so suddenly, but also so we can actually get to know each other. I don’t think Marinette and Ladybug are the same person, like you said, but I’m probably somewhere in the middle. And you too. You’re as much Chat as you are Adrien, and now that I got through the surprise - well, most of it -, I’m really excited to get to know the real you.”

Marinette decided then and there that she would do anything to protect the smile Adrien gave her. Nudging him through his excitement, Marinette made sure they both had all their stuff before calling down Tikki (who looked extremely satisfied) and Plagg (who she didn’t know how he looked due to how fast he went to Adrien…). They said their goodbyes to Tom and Sabine, taking a box of treats for them and Alya and Nino, who certainly had questions for them.

Just when they saw their friends, Marinette decided to give one last tidbit to Adrien.

“Since you told me of your crush on me, I suppose it’s only fair I return the favor… I’ve liked you since you lent me your umbrella. And… A certain alley cat has a spot in my heart too.”

Marinette rushed to Aya, face redder than ever. Adrien…

Adrien was frozen in spot, jaw slack.

Would’ve probably stayed there the whole day if it weren’t for Nino pulling him to class.


	3. No Spoilers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being patient is not something Alya is good at

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in a really long time, had no internet + lots of exams orz  
> That said, I did write as often as I could, so the next few updates should be out soon. This chapter is filler-y and short, but while I really wanted to keep it, couldn't make it fit with the rest. So yeah, I'm going to post the next chapter in (hopefully) two days, since it's already written and I just have to type (half this thing is written on the laptop and the other half on paper. It's a mess just like it's writer)
> 
> It's going to take awhile for me to edit anything, but I'm not gonna delay updates because of it. Last chapter has yet to be edited (wrote it on google docs, and then had no internet :') )
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! Again, sorry for the wait!

The teacher was talking, but all Marinette could think of was how the hell did Adrien manage to focus with somebody staring at him.

 

And if her stares were half as intense as Alya’s, she had some apologizing to do.

 

Squirming, Marinette tried to concentrate, only to find a note on her side of the desk. Sighing, she gave up on the class, picking it up and quickly sending a pouty glance towards Alya. Marinette promised to explain later! Well, she could understand Alya’s eagerness to know more, she was a journalist and, truth be told, she could tell everyone on the class was dying to know. Aside from Chloé, who was frowning nonstop at Adrien with puffy eyes, curious glances were given to both heroes at an surprising rate.

 

Well, not that surprising when considering the sudden, giant shift on their relationship.

 

Shaking her head, she finally read the message, rolling her eyes at the crudely drawn winking Adrien.

 

_So, what happened? One second you can’t look him in the eyes and the next you’re dragging him around? Spill, girl!_

_It’s a bit hard to explain… I told you I’d tell you after class! Nino probably wants to know, so we can all get together. I’ll explain it all with Adrien, ok? And NO, we did not do ANYTHING besides talk._

 

A cute Marinette held her arms in an X next to the reply, right under the winking Adrien.

 

_C'mon! Not even a tiny spoiler?_

 

This time, Alya did her best to capture a profile Adrien making a kissy face.

 

_No spoilers!_

 

...And a drawn Marinette completed her Adrien, raising her hand to stop the kiss.

 

Alya rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue at her friend, but decided to make a tactical retreat. Carefully, she put away the note. Adrien would definitely see it someday, Alya would make sure of it.


	4. Half-Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Adrien do their best to not lie to their friends while keeping their identities safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I give up, this will be posted when it wants to be. This fic has a will of it's own. Though this might be because its the first I'm doing a fic without having a 'concrete' plot or goals.
> 
> There will be a side-fic about Ladynoir gaming nights, which will be set before all this. Will be posted Idk when, I only managed to consistently write during the first week of this fic (university is hell and soon I'll be working on top of that hahahahaha)
> 
> Although, I will say this: this fic may be slow and such, but it will never be abandoned. I will finish what I started.
> 
> Sorry for the inconsistent update dates, and for not editing anything until now. Will try to do it eventually, but I always say "I'll do it when I'm not tired" which doesn't work because I'm ALWAYS TIRED.
> 
> Hope you guys have a good day!

The bell had barely rung, but Alya was already standing, impatiently tapping her foot. Adrien offered her a sheepish smile, slinging his bag on his shoulder and getting up, though he maintained a careful distance. Nino and Marinette got done a bit after, and as soon as they stood, Alya took the hero by the arm, loudly demanding the boys to keep up while she led the way to the Dupain-Cheng house, only stopping long enough to greet Tom and Sabine before rushing to Marinette’s room. Once in, she shoved Marinette on her chaise, pulling and pushing Adrien until he was sitting beside her, and placing Nino on her own side so they hovered over the gaping hero duo.

“Alright, I waited enough, start talking.”

Feeling more than seeing Adrien tense up beside her, Marinette decided to take the lead. They hadn’t really talked about what they’d say to their friends, but she was confident her half-truth would stick and that her partner would quickly get on the same page as her.

“So, remember that new MMO I’ve been playing?”

Alya nodded, quirking an eyebrow in a way that clearly said ‘don’t you dare change the subject or so help me, I will end you’.

“And remember how I told you I made a Guild with someone? And was leading it with them so we talked a lot and ended up becoming really good friends?”

Alya’s eyebrow went through a change in angle, now stating ‘alright, this seems to be going somewhere related, do continue’.

“Well, turns out that someone is Adrien!”

Alya and Nino stared. Marinette smiled. Adrien’s leg bounced lightly. Tikki patiently nibbled on a cookie. Plagg most certainly went out of his mind in boredom.

This lasted for six minutes, until Alya gave up.

“So?’

Marinette tilted her head in confusion, not showing her internal panic. Adrien’s leg was more sincere, bouncing slightly faster.

“So…?”

“Girl, that tells me nothing! How did you guys even figure each other out??”

Adrien decided to step in with his own half-truth.

“She told me about her haircut, so when Mari showed up with the same cut right after, I tried addressing her like I do in-game just in case it was really her, and, well, it was!”

Marinette could kiss him right now. And it had nothing to do with her crush. Well, it had mostly nothing to do with her crush. Sure, it didn’t hurt that he was handsome, and kind, and brave, and literally made of sunshine and everything good. But it was solely about gratitude. Yup, not because his lips looked kissable, or his smile was so cute, or-

Alya coughed, pointedly staring at the now blushinette. Nino just shook his head, being chill about the whole thing.

Not that he wouldn’t tease Adrien about it.

“Princess, huh?”

Two words, and Adrien was competing with Marinette for redder face.

“Uh, well, she has a really cute character! And, well, the reason we started talking in game was because our names matched, hers is a reference to Ladybug and mine to Chat Noir, so we jokingly roleplayed a bit and I ended up calling her Princess and it stuck so it’s not weird is it? I mean, Mari never seemed bothered by it, though I could be wrong because it’s hard to tell when someone is typing, and we didn’t voice chat much, and-”

“Adrien, breather! I was just teasing you bro, no need to explain yourself!”

Alya and Marinette shared a look, Alya’s slight eyebrow movement and Marinette’s eye rolls making up for words in their silent conversation while Nino tried to get Adrien to not combust in embarrassment.

With an expert eyebrow wiggle, Alya finished her point, and Marinette sighed, though she wasn’t really bothered by the outcome of their ‘conversation’. Turning to the boys, she waited until Adrien was back to his normal color to speak.

“How about staying over tonight? We can have a sleepover, Adrien and I can show you the game, or we can watch movies…”

Nino pondered the idea, looking over to Adrien, who was smiling brightly. Just when he opened his mouth to answer, his cellphone chimed, reminding him Gorilla would be there to pick him up in ten minutes so he could go to his next appointment. With a dejected sigh, Adrien turned his sad eyes to Marinette.

“Raincheck?”

Marinette nodded, smiling at him.

“Just tell us when you’re free, will figure it out!”

Nino and Alya nodded, though Alya declared she would stay over anyway and have a girl’s night with Marinette. Nino, feigning hurt over being blatantly dismissed, accepted Adrien’s offer of a ride home. Marinette and Alya saw the boys out, and as soon as they were back in Marinette’s room, Alya squealed, ready to start a whole night of talking (and a bit of questioning too).

Giggling, Marinette indulged, and when they finally went to bed, she made sure to text her kitty good night.


	5. Friendly Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat pays a visit to Marinette, just to have a chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Guess I'm still alive?
> 
> Sorry this took centuries to post! I've had half this chapter done when I posted the last one, but life and depression and bad mental state overall meant I only finished the other half yesterday (actually. I wrote all of the other half yesterday. Woops).
> 
> I'm better and stable now, and aiming to get this one done as soon as possible. Got about 425 words of the next chapter done, so if all goes well, I'll post it soon.
> 
> ...No promises tho
> 
> As usual: not edited, and this time didn't even reread. I just wanted to get something out orz

Stretching, Marinette let out a pleased sigh, finally finished with her homework. Alya staying overnight meant Marinette hadn’t been late to school, but also meant she didn’t get as much sleep as she liked. Still, there had been no akuma and no scheduled patrol for the night, which meant she could take a shower, share a snack with Tikki and then head to bed early.

A soft knock on her trapdoor just as she left the shower changed her plans.

Despite knowing there was only one person who could get on her balcony, Marinette was still surprised at the sheepish Chat Noir fidgeting in front of her.

“Chat? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, princess!” Chat offered a nervous smile, unsure of himself even as he kept talking “it’s just, well, we didn’t really get to talk much today and I wanted to and end up too excited and before I knew it I was on my way here and just, I don’t know, can we hang out a bit?”

Staring at him, Marinette took a few seconds to take in what he said, but smiled gently as soon as she did. Motioning for him to follow her, she went back inside her bedroom, telling him to make himself comfortable. Going as fast as she dared to without waking her parents, she quickly got enough snacks for the four of them, rushing back to her room. Closing the trapdoor, Marinette turned around with a smile, ready to tell him to detransform so Plagg could eat too.

The words died on her lips as soon as she saw the grin he was sporting. Wearily putting the treats on her table, she simply raised one eyebrow in silent question. His grin only grew.

“You know, the last two times I was here there was a lot on my mind, so I didn’t really pay attention, but you have a good eye for decorations, princess. A bit different from the day of the gaming tournament, but definitely an improvement!”

Confused, Marinette followed his gaze, promptly feeling all blood leave her face as she was faced with all of Adrien’s picture she completely forgot to take down. Desperately looking at her desktop, she thanked god for small mercies. The Adrien Schedule had been replaced with her own since the gamer, when she realized it was one thing to have pictures of him, and another to know where he was meant to be at all times.

Though she still remembered it.

Hopelessly trying to stammer an apology, Marinette felt all the blood that left her face before rush back in, fiercely blushing while she rushed around the room, trying to one handedly take down all of the pictures as fast as possible without dropping the snack tray. Laughing a bit louder than he should, Chat quickly went after her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“hey , hey, it’s okay! My computer has three screens, and all of them have rotating Ladybug wallpapers. I’m in no place to judge, and honestly I’m just glad you like one of me that much!”

Marinette took note of several things just from that sentence, but decided to let them all slide for now. They had a lot to go through at the moment without the lack of self-esteem from both of them making itself known. She’d address that sooner rather than later, but now was not the time. Giving a shaky smile, she put the photos on her hand on her table, set on taking them all off later.

Now, they had snacks to share.

“So. I didn’t know what was your favorite, so I brought a bit of everything. There’s cheese for Plagg too, in case you wanna detransform. You don’t have to, though! Just, ah, just in case. Hehe.”

Marinette’s smile was still wobbly, and although he could tell she was still struggling a bit with the whole reveal thing, he had no doubt she was doing her best to make him comfortable and would only go as far as he was willing to. Smiling brightly at her, he could practically feel his heart melting.

“Would that be okay with you? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Plagg can eat later, so don’t worry about him too”

Marinette fidgeted a bit, but kept on smiling. Taking a seat on one of her chairs, gently gesturing to the other one. Adrien got the hint, sitting down, but kept the transformation up. Marinette took one of the many cookies on the tray, watching as Tikki quickly flew to them, the kwami giving a wave and cheerful hi to the boy.

“To be honest, I’m not sure how I’ll feel seeing you detransform, but I don’t think it’ll be bad. Besides, even if it feels weird now, I’ll get used to it soon; we’re probably going to be doing this a lot from now on.”

Marinette offered the cookie she took to Adrien, small smile still on her lips. Grinning back to her, Adrien accepted the cookie, dropping the transformation. Plagg dashed to the cheese plate, excitedly thanking Marinette. Adrien and Tikki chuckled, the kwami deciding to sit next to her pair. Adrien smiled, looking back at Marinette, instantly feeling his smile drop at her black stare.

“That bad?”

Marinette seemed to kickstart, fumbling and accidently hitting the tray while talking.”

“No no no no no! It’s just that, while I know you’re Chat and seen Plagg, it was even more… I don’t really know how to say it? “Decisive” is not the world I want, but has a sort of similar feel? What I mean is, it kinda cemented the fact Adrien is Chat and Chat is Adrien in my head. Gosh, I’m sorry, am I making sense?”

“Oh, I think I understand. It’s like when your mind knows something, but your heart didn’t get the memo?”

“Yes! That’s it! But I think my heart knows it too now. Probably will still take some time to get used to it though. Sorry…”

“Don’t be! Besides, we agreed to take it slow, so there’s no rush. We’ll do this at our pace.”

Marinette knew she was smiling a lot today, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Her cheeks would most likely be hurting after Adrien left. Giggling, she took a cookie for herself, taking a small bite. Adrien seemed to remember his own cookie, eagerly eating it and letting out a happy sigh when done. Marinette caught him discreetly eyeing the tray, so she nudged it closer to him, laughing when he excitedly took a croissant.

“So, did you have anything in mind, or did you just felt like talking about anything?”

Adrien chewed slowly, looking sheepish. Swallowing, he rubbed his neck, shyness overcoming him.

“I didn’t really think of anything, just that I wanted to hang out with you… Ah! I did have something I wanted to ask, but I’m not sure if it’s too soon? Nothing too serious, I promise! Just not sure if you would be okay with it…”

A bit nervous, Marinette nodded, wordlessly giving him permission to ask whatever it was.

“Well, since you mentioned sleepovers yesterday, I just thought that maybe, since we know each other now, we could have those weekly? Just to talk! And we can invite Alya and Nino too! I only ever had sleepovers with Chloé when we were little, but it seems really fun and a great way to know eachother better. Of course, that’s only if you’re ok with it!”

Marinette thought a bit on it. It did seem like a good way to talk more, especially considering the Late Night Oversharing that always happened, but it did seem to soon… It WAS a bit hard to keep calm around him, and they just found out yesterday. But then again, Alya and Nino could be part of the sleepovers, maybe she can ask Adrien to come one or two hours earlier than Alya and Nino, so they could have time to fully be themselves and then have their friends as buffers to any awkwardness that might arise… Glancing at the Kwamis, she saw a purring Plagg still eating, and an encouraging Tikki nodding at her. Looking back at Adrien, she smiled at his nervousness

“Ok! We have to talk with our parents first, but I think it would be great! We can talk it out better tomorrow, but I’m up to it!”

Adrien grinned, almost bouncing on his seat. Looking at the clock nearby, he saw they still had at least one hour to talk before he had to go. Eager to make the most of it, he excitedly started another conversation with his lady.

By the time Chat Noir leapt through Marinette’s balcony, both teens’ had lighter hearts and cheeks hurting from smiling and laughing too much.


	6. Sleepover Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the heroic duo's small blunder, sleepover plans are the priority

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...A bit over a week but at least it wasn't month again woops
> 
> I know I never edit even when it would improve my works, but I really need to edit this one, but since I'm not going to have the time to do so until the next weekend, I'm posting it already. Because of the daily writing challenge, I'm using the little time I could edit it to write, so con: chapter is even shittier than normal for a week, but pro: next chapter is already being worked on (though I might end up putting the beginning of the next chapter at the end of this one; it might have a better feel even if I'm overshooting the approximate word count I aimed for when I started this - truth be told, I'm just scared eventual shorter chapters will feel way too short if I end up making longer ones, and I can't guarantee chapter size at the moment)
> 
> Also! I read and love all comments, but since I'm a social potato that needs to think before answering any type of message and currently have very very limited free time, I'm sorry for not answering! I really really love it and it motivates me to keep writing, so thank you very much!!

Neither Marinette nor Adrien slept enough hours, both going to bed late due to uncontrollable bouts of happiness and excitement. Tikki giggled at Marinette’s energy, trying to gently remind her she had school in the morning, but letting the girl relish on her feelings. Plagg, however, kept rolling his eyes at his lovestruck kitten, listening to him blabber nonstop about the ladybug hero while making sure none of the amusement and fondness he felt showed on his face; Plagg had a reputation to keep after all.

Thus, when morning came, the two sleepy but content teens weren’t exactly prepared for Alya’s burst of energy.

“GIRL, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS! Please please please tell me you stayed up late last night chilling on your balcony!”

Marinette took a few seconds to process Alya’s words, but even then it made no sense. Alya always berated her for staying up late “on her balcony, without her cell phone to properly enjoy the stars so that’s why she didn’t answer but she was totally home yes!”

“Eerr, no? I got caught up in a project, so I stayed inside yesterday… By the time I looked at the clock, it was way too late for stargazing… Why?”

Alya gave an exaggerated sigh, quickly smiling again. Pulling out her phone, she nimbly unlocked it to show pictures of Chat Noir near her house. One of them even showed him jumping towards her balcony, but due to the photographer's angle, Marinette knew no one could claim he stayed there; there was a path he could have taken without the photographer managing to take a picture of him leaving.

She had to thank Tikki for her good luck later.

“Wow, that explains the noise I heard yesterday! I thought it was a bird of something, but when I went to check it there was nothing on my balcony haha”

Marinette smiled a bit more widely than normal, but Alya didn’t point it out, too excited about Chat’s late night stroll.

“This is really weird for Chat! I know you probably don’t keep track of it, but there are three districts Chat never patrols, and three districts Ladybug never patrols, and yours is one of those that Chat Noir isn’t seen unless there’s an akuma - or was, until yesterday! Might just be a patrol area change, but in all this time they never done this before! Random routes and times are one thing, but each had their turf, maybe now they’ll both patrol everywhere? But then what could’ve changed? Ugh, I have so many questions!”

Marinette could feel her shoulders relaxing a little, making a mental note to talk to Adrien as soon as possible. As they walked, Alya kept talking about the incident and her theories about the sudden change, and even through her slight meltdown, Marinette made to pay all attention she could to her best friend, muffling the freak out for later - this was important to Alya, after all. Still, she had to come up with a way to throw Alya off track; those three areas used to be Chat Noir’s and Ladybug’s way to protect their identities without fully saying where they lived.This way, neither hero risked seeing the other coming out of their house, and whenever they followed an akuma to a ‘forbidden’ district, they would keep their focus even more centered at the enemy, doing their best to avoid catching where their partner came from.

Not that it mattered anymore; those restrictions were gone as soon as Adrien managed to pierce together her identity over a goddamn haircut.

Speaking of the cat, Marinette could see both him and Nino already on their seats, both of them laughing about something. Neither boy noticed when they came in, but Alya was quick to run to their table, smacking both her hands on top of it in excitement (Adrien’s startled face made Marinette’s day; it was one expression she knew quite well, but usually, it came with a black mask and kitty ears. The small smile on his face when he gave her a quick good morning before focusing on Alya was equally as good though)

“GUYS, please tell me you checked the Ladyblog already! I know Adrien did, being the complete fanboy he usually is, but Nino! Can you believe this?”

Alya quickly started to tell Nino all she had already said to Marinette, the boy doing his best to keep up despite not being very good at remembering why it mattered so much where which hero was. Marinette turned her eyes to Adrien, a small smirk on her lips; he had mentioned Ladybug being his wallpaper, but seems like the cat was an avid Ladyblog follower; Alya made sure to remember which classmates frequently accessed her site, so she could discuss and theorize with them (She said it was different to discuss with other fans, but made sure to tell Marinette that she enjoyed their own talks about the heros just as much, and Mari always had unique insights about the duo)

Paying attention to Adrien, she could notice him tensing up more and more as Alya talked about Chat Noir’s late night stroll. He was certainly more restrained without the mask, but being impulsive was part of who he was, and Marinette could see he had thought about anything beyond ‘I want to hang out’ yesterday. Not that she could blame him; she completely forgot about the patrol areas too.

As soon as his eyes landed on her, Marinette smiled reassuringly, trying to ease a bit of the desperation she *knew* he was feeling. Mouthing “talk later” to him, she discreetly pat his shoulder when going to her seat, happy to see his shoulders ease a bit and understanding why he didn’t fully relax; she was quite nervous too. This wasn’t a blunder they should be making. But, since they made it, they would deal with it together. They could decide what to do in tonight’s patrol. For now, Marinette would let that go and focus on more immediate matters.

Not wanting to cut Alya’s fun short but having listened to all she was saying to Nino before, Marinette chose to use the five minutes left before class to plan the sleepover. Taking a paper, she began jolting down possible foods and activities, from movies to games. Quickly making three checkboxes on each item, she folded the sheet just as Madame Bustier entered the room. Pouting, Marinette weighted her options.

Tikki would probably scold her for not paying attention in class again, but Marinette was too excited about hanging out with all friends without being completely tongue twisted to wait any more than needed; she passed the list to Alya, shooting a smile and a thumbs up her way. One eyebrow rose in answer, but Alya’s curiosity was on par with Chat’s. Marinette watched discreetly (or tried to) as Alya read the sleepover plans, bouncing on her seat when Alya began checking what she wanted. With a wink towards her friend, Alya slid the note to Nino, who pretended to fix his shirt to give a thumbs up to the girls. The note quickly reached Adrien, but Marinette had to wait agonizing ten minutes to get it back; despite his obvious excitement about a sleepover, Adrien still had to be a model student, and today’s class involved dictated exercises, so he couldn’t do like usual and work on his own projects instead of taking class notes.

Still, when it did reach her hands, Marinette was practically a ball of energy. Eagerly going through what everyone picked (and the new suggestions they made) Marinette picked another sheet, making a semi-final plan. She was going to try and have a sleepover from friday to monday, but that required talking to everybody’s parents first. If all went well, they would camp in her room (properly Adrien-free; she finished taking everything out when Chat left last night). It probably wouldn’t happen, especially considering Adrien’s restricted schedule, but Marinette was hopeful they could try; Adrien had never had a proper sleepover, so his first should have it all in Marinette’s head.

It was by sheer luck that Marinette wasn’t called out during any class. Though, at this point, almost all teachers might have decided she was a lost case; between being late or missing classes due to akumas and all the Adrien-staring, Marinette wasn’t known for paying attention in class. Still, she was responsible enough to study on her own, so maybe it was more the teachers deciding that so long as her grades were good and she kept out of trouble, it was all good - or at least, some teachers were cool with it.

As soon as the lunch bell went off, Marinette poked Nino and Adrien, inviting all of them to eat at her house. Alya usually went with her, and today they had a sleepover to plan; no time to waste.


	7. Play Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepover plans are finalized and the Alya issue gets talked about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all <3
> 
> So, I wanted this to be done in a week, and I actually did it! But had no freaking time to post it, I'm really sorry orz
> 
> Good news: Next chapter is done already! I'm planning on giving this fic a reread and fix any glaring errors on Sunday, as well as start to type out chapter 8. I'm already working on chapter 9 (god bless daily writing challenges for kicking my ass in gear), and I'm hoping to sit down and plan this fic out (it's really a 'plotless' fic at the moment, with nothing set in stone. I'm not giving it a grand plot, since this started because I just wanted to try slowburning, but having a chapter goal and key moments defined will help me a lot - I think I write better and faster with something concrete to aim for)
> 
> Chapters seem to be getting longer, not sure how I feel about that yet woops

“So no horror movies?”

“We can have *some* horror movies, but we have to have other movies too!”

“...But dude! There are so many cool horror movies none of you have seen!”

“And we have a lot of time! No need to cram ‘em in one single event! Maximum of two horror movies, Nino.”

Pouting, Nino crossed his arms, rolling his eyes at Alya. Marinette giggled, poking Adrien who had been looking from Alya to Nino and back to Alya during the whole ten minute discussion they had.

“What kind of movies do you want, Adrien? Alya already suggested Thor and Majestia, Nino is also going to pick two, so I think both of us should suggest the same amount and keep it at eight movies. Honestly, eight already seems like too much, but that way everyone picks equally”

Nodding, Adrien didn’t have to ponder much on which movies to pick; he had been trying to get Ladybug to watch two anime movies he had loved, but she had always dismissed it with a ‘later’ (since Ladybug always made the effort to get to know the things he liked, he suspected Marinette had no idea where to legally rent or stream the movies, and he knew for a fact she never watched anything legally available using illegal means and was just as unlikely to ask him for his BluRay discs - personal items were off limits as potentially revealing. No need to worry about it now!)

“Your Name and Koe no Katachi”

Marinette rolled her eyes, smiling at him. She had guessed he would suggest those, and was glad he did; If this reveal hadn’t happened when it did, she would probably have saved for those expensive DVDs; Chat seemed to really love those movies, and Marinette made a point to at least give a chance and know the basics of anything her closest friends loved - if it mattered to them, it mattered to her.

“Then I think I’ll go with Warcraft and Pacific Rim”

Alya groaned, Nino somehow looked simultaneously flabbergasted and unsurprised, and Adrien had the biggest poker face Marinette had ever seen.

“...I’m not sure to be offended or delighted by your reactions. And Alya! You knew I was going to make you watch those, Warcraft is good for a video game adaption, and just because a movie has mechas and giant monsters doesn’t mean it’s bad! For all you know you might like both”

Alya pouted at her, and Marinette just crossed her arms, tsking and raising her head, eyes closed. Opening one eye to look down at Alya, they had a small staring match before collapsing into giggles, Nino and Adrien watching with smiles on their faces.

Marinette jotted down the movie list, quickly picking another for the food. They had about twenty minutes of break left, fully spent deciding on a snack menu. Notes were passed during all classes (always taking a bit longer whenever they were with Adrien), and by the end of the day, everything seemed set. All they had to do was convince their parents of letting then have such a long sleepover.

Marinette did it during dinner, messaging the other three as soon as she got her parents approval (not that she thought it would be a problem; their only rules was to have the numbers of all other parents and express permission from them, as well as that they did not make too much noise after Tom and Sabine went to bed). Nino was the first to get permission, and Alya said it was all okay, but that her mother might ask to leave the twins with them for a couple hours during Saturday’s afternoon. Adrien said Nathalie was doing the most she could, and that he would be able to go at least from Friday to Saturday, but the remaining days were not confirmed yet. They knew Adrien was most likely to have difficulty getting parental approval, so they limited themselves to encouraging and supporting him; having one night was already a great thing.

Glancing at the clock, Marinette noted it was almost time for patrol, starting to get everything ready. Between planning, talking to her parents, and doing her homework, she didn’t have much time to think of a something to distract Alya, but it would end up alright. Besides, it was their first patrol since the reveal, so she doubted it would have been like usual even without the extra talk. Part of her was nervous, part of her was excited, and she could feel butterflies in her stomach.

Tikki flew towards her, a gentle and knowing smile on her face. Smiling back, Marinette decided to leave a bit early and take a slightly longer route, else she would start pacing in her room.

Despite taking longer to get to the meeting spot, Ladybug still got there fifteen minutes early, not that surprised to see Chat already there. Silently jumping to the roof he was in, she sneaked closer, looking at her mumbling, nervous partner.

Chat Noir was sitting, but his leg kept bouncing, and the ears on top of his head didn’t seem to settle. His tail moved from side to side, and Chat was fumbling with his fingers.

Not wanting to scare him, Ladybug dropped down from the building, deciding to get to the roof from the side Chat was facing. That way, he would see her coming; despite having enhanced senses, he could get lost in himself while nervous or tired and not hear her coming. She had already startled him a couple times due to it, so she was trying to avoid doing it again.

It seemed to work, as Chat quickly got up when seeing her, but didn’t seem caught off guard. Landing next to him, she offered him a small smile, booping his nose. Chat’s posture instantly relaxed, though not completely.

“Good night, my lady. Had a nice evening?”

Ladybug smiled at his usual greeting, feeling her own nerves settle a bit. This was familiar territory, and it helped calming them down. Sitting down, she pat the space next to her before answering.

“A wonderful one, kitty. How about you?”

Chat Noir joined her at the edge of the roof, lightly kicking his legs.

“Same as usual, though this time I had something good to help me get through it”

It had been no secret between them that Chat’s evenings were rarely even ok. Ladybug didn’t know why before, but now she could guess a certain absent father and fashion designer had a lot to do with Chat’s sad look. She always did her best to cheer him up, and few things warmed her heart quite as much as seeing him go back home after patrol with a better mood.

Knocking her shoulder into his softly, she smirked playfully.

“Oh? And what could it possibly be? Did you get a catnip mouse toy?”

Chat chuckled lightly, bumping her shoulder back.

“There’s this amazing girl at my school, and I’m going to have a sleepover with her and two great friends. I think you’d like her, she’s into fashion too”

Doing her best to suppress her smile, Ladybug tried to go for a serious expression.

“Is that so? Is my spot as best friend at risk then? Seems like this girl is the cat’s meow”

Giving in and chuckling, Chat Noir raised a hand to poke at the wig’s ribbons; it was not the same thing as her actual ribbons used to be, but it was still pretty entertaining to the cat in him.

‘Why, sharing is caring Bugaboo. You can both be my best friends’

Moving her head to the side just as Chat’s finger got close to the ribbon, Ladybug giggled at his pouting face.

‘Only if you agree to share me too; there’s this boy who I’m getting to know better, and he seems like a tough contender for you’

Slightly twisting towards her, Chat posed, batting his eyelashes at her.

‘Only if he’s as good looking at me; my lady deserves the best after all’

Feeling herself blush under the mask, Ladybug cleared her throat, deciding now was the best time to talk about Alya - else she would end up saying things she’d rather not at this point (...maybe in a couple months, when everything was a bit more settled)

‘Chaton, we gotta talk about yesterday…’

Chat’s shoulder dropped, only to tense up right after. Ladybug, even more aware of his bad habit of taking the blame after the reveal, was quick to cut his most likely negative thoughts, looking straight into his eyes.

‘First of all, don’t take the blame for this; I completely forgot about it too. If anything, we’re equally guilty. Also, we’ll get through this together. We’re a team, no?’

Chat gave her a smile, confidently nodding. Relaxing a bit, Ladybug smiled back, but decided the quicker they talked about Alya the better, and kept the longer talk about themselves later - they had time.

‘Now… I haven’t had much time to think, but I know the more we let this go without a proper explanation, the more risky it’s going to get. Alya can be pretty restless when we’re involved.’

Chat Noir nodded again, serious. They both had seem up close just how determined Alya could get, especially since the pharaoh incident.

‘I didn’t have much time either, but I thought of something… We could either shift the three districts we don’t patrol, either between us or just change them, or we could allow her an interview and mention that it was a precaution no longer needed. The latter one can make things worse if we don’t give her another hint though.’

Ladybug pondered on both ideas, measuring them.

‘They could both work, but… I think neither of them would fully satisfy her without the proper answer. She was always interested in this, and now that we poked her curiosity, either we sate it or she will do it herself’

Chat sighed, but agreed on it.

‘Then it’s probably better to just drop the restricted areas and give her an interview… Got any idea of what we can say?’

Thinking, Ladybug came up with three possible reasons, but quickly discarded all of them; none would be solid enough. An idea hit her, and slowly a smirk filled her lips. Chat waited, both nervous and eager at what she could have thought of.

‘How about we tell her the truth?’

Balking, Chat considered if maybe the reveal had taken a bigger tool than he thought on Marinette. Still, if there was someone capable of coming up with the weirdest but most brilliant plans, it was his lady.

‘Er… and why would we narrow her searching efforts to where we live when we know she wants to unmask us?

Booping him in the nose for the second time, her smirk grew.

‘To lead her away, silly. We tell her the truth, that it was to protect our civilian selves, but instead of our identities, we say it was against Hawkmoth; act like I patrolled where you live, and you kept an eye on me.’

Chat’s eyes shone as he looked at his genius partner. That would both satisfy Alya about the districts and lead her in the wrong direction regarding their identities. Laughing, he hugged Ladybug, delighted to hear her giggling.

‘That’s perfect Bugaboo!’

Still giggling, Ladybug pushed him away by the nose, like she usually did. Smiling at each other, they briefly discussed how exactly to tell Alya, but decided on starting patrol a bit after, since it was already getting late and it was a school night.

Truth be told, they both had worried about this patrol, fearing knowing who each other was might make things awkward. Instead, it was one of the best patrols of their lives.


	8. Bad Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A CHAPTER COMING OUT ON THE DAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO!
> 
> Miracles do happen.
> 
> I did have a slow week when it came to writing though, so chapter nine *might* end up late, but I'm going to do my best to get it out on time (and if I fail, I'll work to post it as soon as possible so this doesn't go without an update for ages like before). Also, I won't be doing chapter summaries anymore I think; they never seemed that important to me, and are actually the harder part since these are shortish, for fun chapters.
> 
> Please bear with me; this fic is practice and experiments all over the place (I feel like I should put this on the next chapter, since it's shaping up to be A Mess :x), but I hope you can enjoy it too!
> 
> Also! I did sit down to sorta plan this fic, though I didn't finish: For now, I have a rough timeline for the next 19 chapters, and 7 others that I haven't decided yet. Those seven require other chapters for me to be able to include then here, but no matter how long this gets, I plan to end it this year (I was aiming for march at most until I decided I wanted to try my hand a bit more). This might get more of a plot than 'Adrien and Mari getting to know each other', but the main focus will still be that, and I'm not sure if I'm going to try the 'plot' (is not really that deep so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯) or not
> 
> I've rambled enough!

Marinette tried her best to not forget anything, but despite her best efforts, she had a tendency to do it anyway. She had meant to talk to Adrien that discussing hero things via normal texting was not an option, since she often lent her phone to Alya (the opposite not happening that often, unless Alya had already backed it up). They had to find a way to communicate about miraculous issues without that risk; it was true they had been considering doing that before the reveal, since sending a text could be faster than transforming and then trying to contact their partner, but neither found a solution that didn’t require giving up at least a bit of personal information (or risking Alya finding out via a badly timed message. Marinette wasn’t going to push her luck on that one)

The only ideas she came up with before the reveal still required either a small amount of personal info or something that would be suspicious for her civilian self (she considered telling Alya she got a second phone to be work exclusive, but she already used her regular one for commissions, blog posts, and emails, so that wouldn’t fly). She would have to check if Adrien had any ideias later.

Glancing at the clock, Marinette realized that for once she had woken up early despite not having slept enough, and still had 20 minutes to spare before class. Mentally going through the schedule she still had memorized, she decided to risk it and give it a shot; his schedule might have changed and she had to make sure to delete the call log later, but he usually only got to school 10 minutes before the bell, so he should either have a couple minutes or be leaving his house. Either she talked with him on the phone, or invited him for a quick breakfast and prayed she’d last without being weird.

He picked up on the second ring.

‘Mari! Good morning! How is my lovely princess?’

Smiling, Marinette could feel her cheeks warming up slightly.

‘Careful, your Chat is showing. Good morning to you too! I know this is a bit sudden, but are you alone or already on your way?’

‘Just a moment, Mari’

She could hear muted footsteps and a door click, which meant he was still home.

‘Alright, I got three minutes tops. Is it about what I think it is?’

Marinette nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see her for a moment.

‘Yeah, but it’s really quick! I meant to talk about this yesterday, but forgot… I know we wanted to have someway to communicate out of our costumes, but using our phones seems too risky, so I think it’s better if we don't. I’m not sure what we can do instead, but we can talk about it later’

Adrien glanced at the little box in the corner of his room, grinning.

‘...I think I have just the right thing! Don’t worry about it princess, just meet me in front of the school, ok? I should be there in five minutes or so’

He could hear her confusion, but she agreed to it nonetheless. Quickly grabbing the box, Adrien said a quick bye, running to the front door before Nathalie went searching for him.

It required all of his willpower to not just run to Marinette as soon as he saw her.

Restraining himself, he walked to her, giddy smile on his face. She seemed both confused and curious while greeting him, but a small blush still managed to tint her cheeks (and damn didn’t it made him even giddier, knowing she was blushing because of him). Excitedly giving her a good morning, he nodded to her parent’s bakery, gently suggesting they had a bite before class. Quick to understand, Marinette agreed, walking next to him the short distance to her house.

Each grabbed a treat, despite having already had breakfast, and Adrien politely said hello Tom and Sabine, receiving their own warm greetings in return. Marinette wasted no time teasingly shooing her parents away, pulling Adrien to the second floor so they could talk without worrying too much about being eavesdropped. Sitting down on the couch, she patted the seat next to her, which Adrien promptly took.

‘So, what did you have in mind?’

Adrien smirked, going through his bag to retrieve the small box.

‘Well, I already had these from back when we first tried to figure out how to stay in touch without compromising our identities, but since they aren’t easily found I thought it might give me away, so I ended up not giving it to you. It’s not the best way, but I think it will do until we figure something out’

Opening the box, Marinette saw two delicate bracelets, one black and the other white. Both had a small circle in the middle, but she didn’t see how it would help them communicate. Adrien gave a small laugh at her confusion, silently asking for permission to put it on her. Nodding, Marinette offered her arm to him, and he gently placed the white bracelet around her wrist. Putting the black one on, he smirked at her, before tapping the middle of his bracelet.

Marinette gasped, seeing her own bracelet light up and softly vibrate. Adrien chuckled, delighted.

‘These are meant for long distance friends; if one taps their bracelet, the other will respond. It can be accidentally pressed, so we should probably figure something out about it, but that way we can at least warn the other to suit up’

Marinette marveled at the bracelet, touching it experimentally, giggling when Adrien’s lighted up. Smiling brightly, she looked at him.

‘You’re a lifesaver! Gosh, it’ll be so much quicker and reliable than just having to wait for us to notice an akuma! Good thinking, kitty!’

Adrien smiled, blushing slightly at the praise. Pleased with himself, he finally took a bite of the tart he picked, humming in delight. Marinette kept poking and examining the trinket he gave her, but the giddy excitement on her face slowly turning into a frown.

‘Hey Adrien?’

Still focused on the delicious tart, Adrien gave an answering hum, taking another bite.

‘This is absolutely great, but… They don’t look cheap. And I’ve never seen one of these for sale. I know you’re rich and all, but since this is for our duty, I think it’d be only fair for me to help pay for it’

Swallowing, Adrien turned to her, thoughtful. Truth be told, it was expensive, but he had barely paid a thought to it except for the “might hint my identity” when buying. And the idea of Marinette paying, while sound on theory, didn’t really seem fair to him; he did have (way) more money to spare, and it’s not like they talked about it beforehand. But knowing his lady, she wouldn’t take no for an answer unless he accept some form of payment for the bracelets, which he couldn’t really fault her for.

But hopefully he’d manage to trade the bracelets for things better than money for him.

‘I’m not gonna say they were cheap, and I’m sure you know I’d never ask you to pay a single cent for them, but if you’re set on paying me back, maybe he can make a deal?’

Marinette raised an eyebrow expectantly.

‘I’m not tight on money by any means, so I thought instead of it, we could have snacks on a few patrols? Or maybe you can design something for me! I’ve seen the clothes you make, they’re gorgeous!’

Marinette smiled, proudly puffing her chest.

‘How about both? I’m sure these bracelets were way more expensive than either of the options you’re giving me, but I don’t doubt they would matter more to you than money. But! Since I know you and you’d still try to say it’s paid way sooner than it actually is, I’ll be the one to decide when we’re even. Deal?’

Marinette extended her free hand to him, coincidentally the one with the bracelet. Adrien smiled, raising his own hand to shake hers, happily looking at the matching jewelry on their wrists.

‘Deal!’

‘Now, we better go now else we’ll be late for class. Alya and Nino are probably not worried about me, but you’re usually at school early. I know it sucks lying to them, but if they ask, we were talking about our guild, and since these are long distance friendship bracelets, we could go with you buying these before figuring out who I was?’

Adrien nodded, and Marinette could tell he was about as happy as she was to lie to their friends. Both of them knew it was needed though, so they just resigned themselves to it and got up, grabbing their things so they could head out. Chatting along the way, they found Nino and Alya already in class, both of them raising their eyebrows at the duo.

Greeting both of them, Marinette decided to already tell them their story, else Alya wouldn’t let it go. Nino would probably say it was okay, but keep worrying about Adrien until he was sure it was not something Gabriel-related (he still hasn’t sure to what extent gabriel sucked at parenting, but he figured out early on that he was responsible for most - if not all- of the sadness Adrien felt; as such, Nino tended to be wary of him), so it was better to ease both of their friends before it escalated.

Both of them bought their explanation, which made Marinette and Adrien feel both relieved and guilty, but they knew better than to let it get to them; it wasn’t pleasant, but it was needed. So, brushing the guilt aside, they sat down, Alya immediately wiggling her eyebrows at Marinette, to which she just rolled her eyes.

Once again, all four friends spent their classes passing notes, careful not to get caught (or miss too much, else it would be a nightmare to catch up on all school work; heroic duties aside, Marinette had class president duties, her shop, and occasionally helping her parents; Alya had her siblings and the ladyblog, and was also taking an online journalism course; Adrien had his busier than healthy schedule; Nino worked on his music, and was always on the lookout for any job he was legally able to take since music equipments could get very pricey). Still, since they had to double their attention so as to not get in trouble without falling behind, they ended up considering weekly study groups on top of the (hopefully) weekly sleepovers (none of them even considered paying their full attention on the class and stop the notes; those were fun, and could actually help them memorize the subjects; from Nino’s humour, Alya’s and Marinette’s combined drawings, and Adrien’s terrible puns, it ended up making class fun and seem less like work)

Despite how great her day was going so far, Marinette started to have a bad feeling after lunch time; the four of them ate at her house again, though they all had brought their lunches and just enjoyed Tom’s desserts afterwards. On their way back to the classroom, Adrien noticed Mari’s subtle mood change, which showed on small things; short but somewhat frequent glances at their surroundings, her posture becoming slightly tense, and her hand going for her purse more often. He slowed down, tapping his bracelet to get her attention. Marinette gave a small start at the vibration, looking at him alarmed. Quickly reassuring her everything was ok, he glanced to their friends, currently locked in a discussion about the Ladybug anime soundtrack, before turning back to his partner.

‘Is everything ok? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I just noticed you seem a bit nervous since we got out of your house’

Marinette shrugged, a sigh escaping her lips.

‘I’m not sure yet. The day has been wonderful so far, but… I’ve got a feeling, sort of? I’m not sure if something is even going to happen, but I can’t shake it off, so…’

She trailed off, unsure how to put her feelings in words. Adrien nodded, about ninety percent sure he understood what she was trying to say, smiling.

‘Well, if something bad does happen, we have each other's backs’

The moment Adrien’s hand touched Marinette’s shoulder in what was to be a reassuring gesture, a high pitched and furious scream filled the air, coming from straight ahead. Startled, both looked at where the sound came from.

Their eyes met a seething Chloé.


	9. Not Repleaceable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late!
> 
> Well, still posting on the day I wanted (on the US, cause where I live it's already Saturday :') ), but still. I'm taking care of my grandma, so while the chapter was typed out and ready to be shipped, I only managed to do it now. There are some typos I've already seen, so there are probably even worse mistakes throughout, but I don't have the time to fix it right now. The typos should be gone on sunday tho
> 
> Two heads up: I suck even more at action scenes than the rest, and the next chapter will be really short compared to the ones I've been posting these days (it's a bit under a thousand words). The reason for the former is that I have never actually practiced it, and the reason for the later is that while I do have more written and another whole week to write more, I think it works better by itself. I already started on the next chapter after that short one, but I think it's better to give a shorter chapter than try to glue the next one to it and end up messing with the 'flow'.
> 
> So yeah. Hope you guys enjoy it anyway! I'm always open for (gentle) constructive criticism (especially on this one, I just feel like it's a mess orz)

Seconds felt like minutes, everyone standing still. Alya and Nino, who were somewhat close before the screech, had jumped in surprise, leaving a gap that granted a perfect view of the furious blonde. No one knew what to make of this situation; sure, Chloé was usually mean and her screaming was unfortunately a frequent thing, but they were currently trying to guess what set it off this time. It was easy to narrow down that it had something to do with Adrien and Marinette, especially considering she was glaring at their direction, but it wasn’t like it tended to be whenever another girl got close to Adrien.

For once, Chloé’s wrath seemed to be directed at the model.

Confused and out of their element, the group glanced at him, turning when Chloé’s began stomping their way, eyes still trained on Adrien. Marinette discreetly squeezed his hand when removing it from her shoulder, hoping he understood she would be there if he needed, but knowing Chat (and Adrien) well enough to know it was best he deal with whatever Chloé’s issue was by himself first (her own bad blood regarding the girl was also a factor, since Mari would probably only make her temper worse).

As soon as she was close enough, Chloé thrust a finger at his chest

‘How DARE you?’

Confused, Adrien raised his hands, trying to placate his oldest friend.

‘Uuuh… How dare I what?’

Stomping a foot, Chloé jabbed her finger again, seemingly even angrier.

‘Don’t play dumb with me! Is that your plan? Pretending nothing is going on?’

Adrien tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but said hand was viciously slapped away. Shaking it, Adrien kept his focus on Chloé.

‘I honestly don’t know what this is about, but I can try to fix it if you tell me what the issue is. Please, Chlo?’

Apparently, this was also a mistake. Slapping his face, Chloé valiantly held back the tears Adrien could see forming on her eyes. Her voice shook when she spoke, hot anger and hurt seeping through.

‘You promised me to at least tell me. You’re breaking that promise and don’t even have the decency to talk to me about it. YOU’RE EVEN WORSE THAN HER, ADRIEN!’

Chloé forced her way between Marinette and Adrien, running away. Adrien saw the tears she fought against starting to flow as she moved past him. Gears turning on his head, he managed to figure out the problem just as she moved past the school doors. Sending an apologetic glance to Mari, and receiving a ‘go on’ in return, Adrien ran after Chloé as fast as he could, hoping to reach her before a purple butterfly did.

He caught up to her as she made her way through the park.

‘Chloé! Please wait, let’s talk!’

Chloé spun around to face him, anger and hurt seeping through her every move.

‘There’s nothing to talk about! Stop acting like you really care!’

Adrien stopped before her, trying to decide how to go about this, but while he was polite and well educated, his social skills sometimes left to be desired; he had never been in this situation before, and he didn’t think being blunt would help. But he had to try something, anything.

‘Chloé, please listen to me… I know I haven’t been talking to you as much this week, but I never stopped considering you my friend! I’ve been busy, and-’

Another angry jab at his chest silenced Adrien.

‘Oh, CAN IT! Busy my ass Adrien! Or are you busy ONLY when it comes to me? You seem to have no trouble finding time for Marinette!’

Chloé spit out her name like it was something vile, and Adrien felt himself bristle. It was not the time to talk about that, though; right now, Chloé needed reassurance. Then, they could talk about her issues with Mari.

‘Chlo, it’s not like that. Please, let’s sit down and talk? I promise you’ll understand afterwards.’

Chloé let out a cold, joyless laugh.

‘Of course! I’ll surely understand why you’re REPLACING ME! Do talk Adrien, when did you get bored of me? When did you decide that I was no longer worth your time, or even just a freaking text reply?’

Wincing, Adrien felt guilt running through his brain; Chloé had texted while he was in patrol, and by the time he got home it was too late to send a reply, else he risked waking her up. He figured it was best to reply in the morning, but ended up too excited about the bracelets and ended up impulsively heading straight to Marinette’s, text reply sitting in his drafts.

That was a jerk move on his part, and he couldn’t deny it; at least, not when he knew how much it mattered to Chloé. It would be one thing if he didn’t text her and arrived at the school in the nick of time, but as it was, he arrived on time and was casually chatting with Marinette. Both of them knew he had more than enough time to reply.

‘That’s my bad, Chloé… I’m really, really sorry. I got excited about something when I was in the middle of typing out the reply, and ended up not sending it. I know it’s no excuse, can you forgive me?’

Chloé’s eyes filled even more, and Adrien felt his heart break a little. He knew most of this came from Chloé’s issues and imagination, but at least a part of it was his fault.

‘Excited about Marinette, I bet! I don’t get what everyone else sees in her! I’m way better than her, so why aren’t you choosing ME?’

Adrien would probably lie in bed and brood about this later, but so caught up in trying to talk to Chloé, he didn’t see the purple butterfly heading for her necklace until it was too late. He tried to run to her, only to have to back down as she was engulfed in black. Knowing she would most likely go after him or Marinette, he quickly bolted, touching his bracelet on the way. Hopefully, Marinette would manage to excuse herself quickly. Right now, he focused on finding some place to transform.

In the classroom, Marinette instantly tensed up when feeling her bracelet vibrating. She could see Madame Bustier almost on the door, and decided to risk it. Quickly telling Alya she forgot her homework, she bolted from the room, managing to leave before her teacher got to the door, but still getting called out. Ignoring it despite the trouble she would probably be in later, she ran to the bathroom, checking if it was empty before transforming and leaping through the window.

Chloé wasn’t that far from the school when the butterfly caught her, so Marinette stopped on a nearby roof, doing her best to stay hidden while keeping an eye on what she was pretty sure was the akuma. When Chloé’s akuma began to move, she followed suit, not using her yoyo for both stealth and so she could call Chat; relief flooded her when he picked up, asking him to use the gps on their weapons to meet up where she was so they could come up with a plan.

Thought considering how the screams calling for Adrien were nonstop, they would probably end up using him as bait.

She heard Chat landing behind her, motioning for him to come closer, eyes never leaving her hoovering target.

‘Do you know where the akuma is?’

Chat nodded despite knowing she wasn’t watching him, quickly telling her it was on the necklace. From where they were, Marinette couldn’t see it, but she did remember what it looks like. It’d be a pain to get something so thin and small out of a moving target, and this particular akuma didn’t seem very slow, but they would figure something out. They always did.

Not willing to call on either of their powers so soon, both heroes came up with a vague strategy: Ladybug would get closer to the akuma, while Chat stayed behind, using his enhanced senses to gather information on the fight. Once the akuma showed a bit of what they were dealing it, Ladybug would disengage, hide, and meet up with Chat so they could come up with something more concrete; if both deemed safe to do so, using Adrien as bait would be ideal, but that would depend on how dangerous the akuma actually was. Chat staying hidden would ensure no one got suspicious about him leaving and then Adrien appearing (not that anyone actually did before, but who knows. Better safe than sorry).

Nodding at each other, both heroes sprung to action; Chat Noir stayed in the shadows, as close as he dared without giving himself away, and Ladybug moved towards the other side of the akuma, going as low as she could without compromising her speed. Finally there, she jumped high, making sure to land noisily. The akuma turned, sneering at Ladybug, who made a narky quip about the akuma’s fixation on Adrien. Moving around while bantering, she did her best to fight without getting too close, luring the akuma into showing their powers: besides being annoyingly quick, everything she touched got replaced with something (or someone) else. Deciding that was most likely all she would manage to get from fighting like this, she flung herself out as fast as she could, taking advantage of the one moment she wasn’t in the akuma’s field of vision to drop on the slim space between two buildings. Holding her breath, she waited until a golden blur passed over her head, making sure to stay hidden for a bit longer just for sure. Once out, she used the GPS to find out where Chat was, rushing towards him.

Chat didn’t turn around when she approached, greeting her with a bit less enthusiasm then usual (understandable, since he had a bond with the victim this time, not to mention was feeling particularly guilty about it).

‘So, did you catch up any quirks of her? We can’t get touched, so I couldn’t really focus on not being tagged and picking up opening at the same time…’

Chat nodded, still eyeing the akuma.

‘She’s only using her left hand. Anything her right touched didn’t change, though it could be that the right does something else. I’m willing to bet it can switch it back to what it was before, but can’t be sure about it. Other than that, she doesn’t seem to guard her back, and was relying on her speed to make sure she was always facing you, so it might be easier to get the necklace if one of us sneak around her’

Humming thoughtfully, Ladybug weighed her options. Deciding on a plan, she looked at the akuma, sizing it up.

‘I think we can try to use you as bait, Maybe lure her as close as possible to the Eiffel tower. I’ll try to get her necklace then, but in case I can’t, I’ll drop you at the nearest subway entrance, get in there and transform, meet me up in the tower, and we’ll use the beams to move around her. I’m not gonna use Lucky Charm right away; her reflexes were good enough that I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to go with the second part, but I think it’s worth a shot anyway’

Nodding again, Chat finally looked around, making sure no one was near. Racing on the direction of the akuma, he heard the low zip of Ladybug’s yoyo, feeling himself relax slightly; nothing made him more sure that it would turn out okay than having his lady watching his back. They’d get through this, and then he would have a heart to heart with Chloé, hopefully managing to mend things between them.

But right now, he had a job to do.

Nimbly dropping down and hiding, he did one last check before dropping the transformation, looking at the direction he last heard Ladybug. When their eyes met, they nodded at each other, taking their positions; Ladybug stayed where she was, between the akuma and Adrien’s landing point, while he ran forward, turning right on the first street so he would be right in front of the screeching akuma.

Seeing the corner coming up, Adrien put his doubts and worries behind him, focusing on the now; being impulsive had its perks.

A high pitched scream filled the air, and Adrien turned, facing the golden monster.

It still looked a lot like Chloé.

Forcefully pushing that thought out, Adrien ran, mental map of the city (or rather, it’s rooftops) on his mind. As soon as he was in the open, he heard an outraged cry, briefly looking back in time to see the akuma push Ladybug back.

Switching over to plan B, Adrien continued to run, keeping his arms higher so Ladybug could grab him easily. Not a moment to soon, as Ladybug wrapped her arm around his waist, effortlessly lifting him, swinging as fast as she could.

The akuma sure was quick, but not enough to match Ladybug.

Dropping Adrien off at the subway, Ladybug turned around, speeding back to where the akuma was. If she was lucky, it would be right by the tower.

Transforming, adrien leaped towards his duo, silently thanking Tikki; Ladybug was already engaged with the akuma in the middle of the beams, a huge bag of tiny Lucky Charmed magnetic balls in one hand. Jumping up to meet them, he sneaked around the fight, and as soon as he knew Ladybug was aware of him, he pounced the akuma. He was quickly thrown off, with the akuma turning to him, and a smirk started to form on Chat’s lips; Ladybug threw the little balls at her with perfect timing. However, the akuma had stupidly good reflexes, and tried to dodge it.

His smirk fell off before fully appearing, and he thought quickly. Throwing his baton as fast as he could, he aimed in between the akuma and the magnets, and in one stroke of luck he was sure he would never get again, managed to get the timing just right; the balls went full force at his baton, and then stuck to the akuma. With its arms restricted, Chat felt safe to jump on it, clinging for dear life while cataclysming the necklace. Ladybug caught them both before they fell, grabbing the balls (still stuck on Chat’s baton) and throwing it in the air to call on Miraculous Ladybug, catching her partner’s weapon when it fell down, giving it back to him after their fist bump.

Glancing between Chloé and Chat Noir, Ladybug decided to give a little nudge. Shooing Chat, she told him to go back where it started with a wink, before approaching Chloé and offering a hand to help her up.

Adrien needed to make sure to thank her later, because soon enough he heard the zip of her yoyo and saw she brought Chloé to him.

Hurriedly saying goodbye to them, she swung away, beeping miraculous worrying Adrien a bit; but he trusted her, and for now, he had more important things to worry about.

He met Chloé’s eyes, still red and full of hurt. He gestured to the bench, and after a couple seconds, Chloé followed him to it.


	10. First Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for being so late in this, there was nothing I could do. I kept on writing everyday, but there's a lot going down on my personal life so I wasn't able to post it. I'm almost done typing the next chapter, and I should be able to post tomorrow too, but considering how downhill my life is going I'm not making promises :') (it'll turn out alright, just a rough patch)
> 
> Sorry once again!

Adrien sat down, glancing at Chloé. She sat with her arms crossed, still pouting and teary eyed, but seemed quiet and simply waited for him to being talking. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his thoughts, turning to her.

‘Listen… I’m sorry about not texting back. I have a reason but no excuse, and I hope you can forgive me about that. I know it’s really important to you, and normally I wouldn’t have messed up like this, but there’s been a big change in my life recently, and even if it seems like a good one, I’m not adjusted yet. Yes, it does have a bit to do with Marinette, but by no means am I replacing you. In fact, I hope you two manage to get along someday, since you’re both special to me’

Chloé scoffed at the bare mention of getting along with Marinette, but for a bit, that was it. She seemed to consider his words, and Adrien decided to wait for her instead of keeping going; class be damned, this was more important to them.

‘...Are you sure about it? It’s not like you didn’t gave up on me before…’

Adrien’s shoulders dropped, but he looked at Chloé kindly.

‘Chlo, I never gave up on you. I know it wasn’t a nice thing to do or say, but… You can’t keep being mean to everyone. I’m not saying you have to be nice either; there’s a middle ground there where you don’t hurt others without forcing yourself to be kind. That’s ok. Even then, that wasn’t me giving up on you, that was me trying to help you because I still want you in my life. I’m not good at it, and I’m aware that I could’ve gone about it in another way, and I’m sorry about how I did it. It is true that I can’t be friends with someone that hurts who I care about, but I should have tried to talk it to you before making it seem like it was an ultimatum. I’m sorry about that’

‘So, you’re sorry about how you said it, but still can’t keep on being my friend. And at the same time, you end up glued to Marinette. How is that not replacing me?’

Adrien gently uncrossed her arms, taking her hands in his and looking in her eyes.

‘Chloé, it’s not like that. I can’t keep this relationship where you hurt anyone else I care about, you know I never liked when you were mean to people I didn’t know, how can you expect me to be ok when you’re bullying those that matter to me? It hurts me to see them hurt, and it hurts even more knowing that it was someone dear to me that caused that pain. I don’t want to end our friendship, even if I did, it would be painful and hard to do but simple. I could not talk to you, block you on everything, even have my bodyguards to shut you off my life. I don’t want that, that’s why I’m going after you. That’s why I’m talking to you. I did it the wrong way before, but I believe in us, and I believe in you. I’m not asking you to like them or be nice, just to not go out of your way to harm them. And it doesn’t have to be an instant change, I’ll be here to help you every step of the way, no matter how long it is. I’m not abandoning you. Not now, not ever. I love you as a friend Chloé.’

New tears streamed down Chloé’s face, and by the end, she flung herself into Adrien’s arms, fully crying. He tightened the hug, hoping to convey all he felt and thought.

Chloé slowly calmed down, reluctantly breaking off the hug. Adrien kept one of his hands on her back, gently moving it in circles. Wiping her eyes as well as she could, Chloé took a deep breath, turning back to Adrien with seriousness etched on her face.

‘I’m… I’m not sure I can do it. I can try, but it’ll be hard for both of us. I will try. But… I can’t promise I won’t relapse, or have another breakdown like today. Rationally, I know you wouldn’t abandon me like this. You’re not Mother, and you’re not the type to do it anyway. But it’s hard to remember and push these thoughts away. I need help with it, I know I do, but it’s too scary to seek it. I… I noticed a while ago that I can’t keep going like this. Just ignoring how bad it hurts and getting distracted with material things. But I’m not ready to change that. I can try to stop being mean to them, but you’ll have to keep your word and help me, and be very patient. I know it’s a lot to ask, but-’

This time, Adrien chose to interrupt her, a quiet shush leaving his mouth while his hands held hers once again.

‘Chlo, it’s not. I offered to do it. If, by any chance, it does become too much for me, I’ll talk to you. Properly. You have my word about it. Don’t worry about asking me things you think are too much or that I can do; even if I can’t, I’ll offer my best. You already said you would try, that’s all I’m asking.’

Chloé turned her eyes down, staring at the ground. She thought a little, swallowed, and turned back to her friend, soft and small smile on her lips.

‘Okay.’

Adrien smiled back, radiating happiness.

‘I’m glad to hear that, Chlo. It really means a lot to me.’

Her smile widened a bit, and she leaned in for another hug, breaking it off faster this time. Sniffing, she wiped her eyes again, grabbing a mirror, a brush, and makeup from her bag. Next to her, Adrien chuckled, glad to see his friend better. Chloé started to fix herself, deciding to work on her ponytail first.

‘In the spirit of heart to heart, care to tell me the sudden interest on the baker’s daughter?’

Despite being somewhat rude to not call Marinette by her name, Adrien noted that Chloé said it with no real bite behind it (granted, a bit of contempt could be heard, but it was leagues better than how she normally addresses Mari), and since Chloé could make names sound like insults, he decided it was good progress and her way of telling him she was serious when she said she would try.

Now, what the heck was he supposed to tell her?

Scrambling his brain for any possible way out, he decided to pray to god Chloé remembered that he was in a game guild with a ‘foreign friend’ and use the same half-truth they had told Alya and Nino. Trouble was, he only mentioned it in passing to Chloé, and it would sound really fake if she didn’t recall it (though it sounded a bit fake even to Nino, who had shown interest in playing and regularly asked about his online friends)

Well. It was the best he could come up with, and keeping the same story might prevent future complications, especially if Chloé managed to reign in herself and they end up hanging out (He could dream, okay? At least on his birthday he’d like to get all his friends together)

‘Uh, I’m not sure you remember, but I was playing that online game, and became friends with someone in it. It turned out to be Marinette; I only found out because she mentioned in game her haircut, and then showed up to class with the exact same style. I asked her, she confirmed it was her, and now we’re talking more because of it’

Chloé hummed, finishing up her ponytail and staring on the makeup. By the sound of it, Adrien hadn’t noticed that Marinette was crazy for him, and Chloé would very much like to keep it that way (she didn’t really have feelings for her friend, but she knows that as soon as someone gets together with a significant other, it often ends up with a period of time they get glued to each other, and she would like to avoid it for as long as possible)

Blinking, Chloé suddenly stopped midway to applying eyeliner. Frowning, she turned back to Adrien, eyebrows raising.

‘So, you’re telling me the only reason you found out who she was and got closer to her was because of the stupid piece of gum I put in her hair?’

Adrien’s eyebrow shot up.

‘You put gum in her hair?’

‘...That’s neither here nor there and I only promised to try and stop being mean today’

Adrien sighed, a small smile on his lips.

‘Ok, that’s fair. I guess so, huh? If she hadn’t cut her hair, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. They were always alike, but I never got two plus two together and figured it out. Guess, I’m kind of oblivious!’

Adrien laughed, and Chloé rolled her eyes; “kind of” was one of the biggest understatements she ever heard, but she simply laughed with him, finishing touching up her makeup and getting up with a flick of her ponytail.

‘Well, so long as you’re not leaving me, we’re good. Now, I’m sure no one would be dumb enough to try and punish me, but we should probably head back to class; I bet they’re all wondering where one of their most loved classmate is’

Adrien laughed, a smile on his lips at what he assumed was just Chloé putting herself as the center of attention again. Chloé, however, just looked at Adrien with a soft smile on her face. There was no doubt in her mind that he did deserve to be loved by all, and she was glad she got to be friends with him, even if she couldn’t make herself say it out loud right now.

Though, Chloé would rather she didn’t have to stand those pests he called friends.

(A quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered that maybe it wasn’t so bad)


	11. Short Hair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late again, life is still a mess (thanks AmyNChan for always commenting, and mayuralover for being a sweetheart! I love every comment dearly, and I promise I will reply to all of them someday - gonna be honest it'll probably be once this fic is done orz -, thanks to all of you!)
> 
> I'm working on the next chapter, but I'm slower than I was before life hit the fan. Things are already better, so while I can't promise it will be done by next friday (which was meant to be update day orz), it will be posted within two weeks AT MOST.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy it!

Marinette took her time walking back to class, waiting until she was sure that Ms Bustier class would be done so she wouldn’t have to deal with disappointing her favorite teacher right away (she did spent the class’ time studying, and planned to get what she missed with Alya. She’ll make it up to Ms Bustier and be sure her grades wouldn’t suffer). She waited the last two minutes before the brief class change to get inside, only entering after her teacher was gone. Alya was gushing to Nino, and Marinette quickly sat down on her spot, tuning in to their conversation.

‘This is amazing! Gosh, I wish I was there to record it myself! It’s the first time since they first appeared that one of them had any visual changes!’

Getting her notebook for Mendeleiev’s class out, Marinette was quick to jump in, knowing that despite already having a good excuse on the tip of her tongue, it would be better if she just ignored the way she rushed out earlier - both for her identity’s safety and her conscience (lying to her friends would never be easy)

‘Who changed their looks?’

Alya turned to her, excitement on her face.

‘Ladybug! I’ve only got a couple of videos and pics my followers sent me, since Nino held me back, but still! Based on what I’ve seen, she cut her hair! Actually, she has a hairstyle similar to Chat’s, kinda like the one I gave you... ‘

Marinette laughed nervously.

‘Is that so? Wow, that’s awesome!’

‘Right! But I need to know why she wanted to change now… Of course, it could be nothing important, but it’s still so exciting!’

Gulping, Marinette let out a weak laugh; there goes her relief for not having to lie to her best friend. The silver lining on the crappy situation of having to frequently lie to her best friend was that she had already thought of an excuse to this situation. And her backup was arriving; Adrien was just entering the room, a red eyed but calm Chloé behind him. With a brief hug, both blonds went to their seats, and Marinette went for it as soon as she was sure Adrien could hear her.

‘Maybe you could ask her? I saw Ladybug dropping Adrien and Chloé off, she didn’t happen to mention anything about her next patrol, did she? Sometimes she patrols on the same day an akuma attack happens, just to reassure the civilians it’s going to be ok, so…’

Alya’s turned to Adrien like she was a starving beast and he was the most delicious treat. He tensed, looking to Marinette questionly, to which she discreetly tapped on the day’s date that she had already written on her notebook in preparation for class.

Adrien eyes filled with understanding, and he gave an equally discreet thumbs up to her.

‘She actually did mention something like that, Chloé was still really mad at me before we talked about it, so maybe she thought it would help… She didn’t mention the specific time, but said she would be passing over the hotel on today’s patrol’

Alya jumped, fist pumping the air.

‘Yeeesssss! Thank you so much, sunshine!’

Adrien smiled at Alya, pleased to see his friend in such high spirits. Marinette felt simultaneously happy to see Alya this excited and guilty knowing that this was all so she could lie to her. Still, negative thoughts would get her nowhere, and she had to this for their safety, so she focused on the bright side: at least, Alya’s day was made the moment she knew she had a shot at interviewing her beloved hero (and, if she was lucky and it was a double patrol, maybe she could get a shot at Chat too… Marinette laughed at how her friend rambled, already taking notes of questions to ask Ladybug and hopefully Chat Noir too)

Glancing to Adrien, she found that he didn’t seem too surprised now, to which she assumed was due to the fact they hadn’t told her about the patrol areas change yet. Well, two birds, one stone. Today wasn’t meant to be a joint patrol (actually, they had agreed on a day off today, what with everything changing so fast), but since they did have a lot to talk about, maybe she should invite Adrien along…

Well, she’d find a way to talk to him about it before the school day was over. Not over lunch, since Adrien politely asked if they minded if he went with Chloé instead; he didn’t get in detail, and his friends didn’t pry, but he knew Chloé was still vulnerable and needed to be reminded he was there for her.

But it was during lunch that she figured how to pass her message along; Telling Alya and Nino to go before her, that she would just ‘do somethings and would join them quickly’, she went to her room after they left, opening her purse. Tikki zipped out, and Marinette told her the idea she had. Tikki was a bit reluctant at first, but she trusted her holder and knew her own speed, so she agreed to it. On her way out, Marinette dropped a little bag with three cookies (one more than usual; She made sure to always have one for Tikki to munch on and one for emergencies) and another with two cheese rolls.

Heading out, she walked briskly to the classroom, Noticing Adrien ner Chloé’s desk, glad that they seemed to be in a good mood (well, more due to Adrien, but she still disliked to see anyone in the same state Chloé was this morning; she didn’t have the details, but she knew it was genuine hurt she saw).

Sitting down, she quickly joined Alya’s and Nino’s current debate on cat vines. While Alya defended that Charlie never meant to drop her kitten off, she saw Adrien walking towards his seat from the corner of her eye, posture going a little straight in anticipation. As soon as he sat down and put his bag on the ground, Marinette poked her own bag twice, feeling a small press in return; it was Tikki’s turn now.

Quickly phasing through Marinette’s bag, she zapped towards Adrien’s bag, fast enough that no one saw her. She accidentally tackled a sleeping Plagg, using her paws to muffle his surprise, giggling. She quickly told him to meet her in Mari’s purse so they could talk, to which Plagg seemed reluctant until Tikki sang-song about cheese treats; after that, Plagg ended up on Mari’s bag before Tikki.

On hushed voices, Tikki told Plagg that Marinette wanted to know if Adrien could join her on patrol tonight, but that he could answer with a simple text saying yes or no to a not related ask Marinette would send him. If he did agree, they could meet near the hotel, that she wanted to talk a bit before patrolling. Pleased by the cheese (and knowing better than to say no to Tikki), Plagg agreed to pass the message along, but decided to nap on Mari’s purse for the remainder of school. Tikki giggled again, cuddling up to him and deciding to nap too; It had been a while since she last allowed herself some time with her counterpart without it having anything to do with their holders.

Marinette, noticing that by now Tikki had enough time to tell Plagg everything but the cat kwami had yet to go out, smiled to herself. Tikki always said her friends were important and that while her duties as Ladybug were not to be taken lightly, neither was her life as Marinette. The kwami made sure to let her know both were equally important, and just as her wishes as Marinette shouldn’t interfere with Ladybug’s job - like they did with the Bubbler -, Ladybug should not impact her civilian life more than absolutely necessary (Marinette still slipped a bit on that one; the spotted mantle she had at times seemed too heavy for a teenager)

Marinette was glad that Tikki could take care of herself too, not just her duties as kwami of creation. She should talk to Adrien about suggesting they hopped to one of their bags every once in a while.

And so, the day went by. During her diner, Adrien’s text answering her disguised question came, the ‘yes!’ bringing a smile to her lips. Humming, she finished eating, washed the dishes, and kissed her mom and dad good night, going to her room. She had already sneaked some cookies and a couple cheese rolls, so she simply got everything she needed for the next day ready, laying it out so when she got up (most likely late, considering Alya would be the one interviewing and she wouldn’t have the miraculous countdown as an excuse to leave) she wouldn’t have to go searching for it. Checking everything over, she finished the one exercise she accidentally skipped when doing homework, and then quickly transforming and leaping out with her bags of treats in hand (she should really make a bag for Ladybug one day, but finding a place to hide it came first. If found, she could always say she saw the bag and tried to replicate it, but Mari would rather avoid lying)

Ladybug circled the area around the hotel, keeping an eye out for Alya. Landing as soon as she found Chat Noir, she smiled when his fake cat ears turned to her, walking to him so she could sit, gently setting down the treat bags and making herself comfortable on the roof, kicking her legs lightly. Chat greeted her, smile on his lips. He poked at one of her short strands, to which she rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face, batting his hand away. She decided to start things off with the snacks, picking up the cookie bag and taking two out, offering one to Chat. His eyes shone as he accepted the treat, a delighted ‘thanks!’ making her giggle, and she sat the bag between them.

After the first cookies were finished, she reached down to get another one, Chat patiently waiting to get himself one too, and she started on today’s mission: Soothe Alya’s curiosity.

‘I think we should go with a bet, whatcha say?’

‘Can work, but it might be best to say I was the one who proposed it so she doesn’t latch on the fact we know people beside ourselves, else she might go around searching for who knows Ladybug well enough to make bets’

‘Good point. Just to be on the safe side, the bet could be about how quickly we took down an akuma?’

‘We patrolled between the last akuma and this one… but then again you could just say you didn’t have time to do it before. Though I think we should make it a bit more complex,since you did love your hairstyle and it was a signature look for you… Maybe that we bet on whose plans could take an akuma out faster?’

‘Sounds like a plan! I think we can just improvise anything else so long as we keep this in mind. How about we finish up these cookies and go?’

‘Sure thing, my Lady! Though, what’s in the other bag?’

His eyes shone, curiously looking at the bag next to her.

‘Cheese rolls. There’s one for you, since you seem to like everything we have on the bakery, and three for Plagg as thanks for passing the message along’

Chat’s ears went down, and he gasped in mock outrage.

‘How come you love him more than me, Bugaboo? Why does he get more treats while I’m left to starve?’

Rolling her eyes, Ladybug poked his nose, reminding him he just ate five cookies on a roll. Chat smiled, getting up and offering a hand to help her stand. She smiled back, accepting his hand and making sure to pick the almost empty bag of cookies, breaking the last one so they could share. Spotting a trashcan on the street, Ladybug aimed, tongue poking out. She gave a small, delighted shout when she made the shot, and Chat’s voice was filled with amusement and admiration when he complimented her. Together, they leaped towards the hotel.

Chat was the one who saw Alya first, smiling at the way she excitedly jumped and waved her arms, trying to catch their attention (both of them had already made it clear to only scream for then during the night if it was an emergency, otherwise it would disrupt the other civilians. They also strongly recommended not calling them out during the day, but knew it would be impossible to stop everyone from doing - especially the little kids). He stopped on the next roof instead of continuing, Ladybug noticing and landing on the one next to it. He nodded his head towards their friend, and Ladybug smiled, using her yoyo to glide towards Alya (and honestly, no word other than glide would describe her elegant descent better, and Chat, privy to Ladybug’s clumsiest moments and armed with the recent knowledge of her identity, could only shake his head; it was more frequent transformed than when she was out of the suit, but these moments when Marinette was completely in her element always made his heart melt a little more)

Quickly following, Chat dropped down silently, Catching Alya’s excited greeting to Ladybug. Waving as he approached, he couldn’t help but grin at the delighted noise his friend made when she saw him. Ladybug fondly rolled her eyes at his expression, turning back to Alya.

‘Well, we do have a bit more time; we had an akuma today, and Hawkmoth rarely sends two on the same day, so this patrol is more of a cautionary action. I think we can do this interview, but it’ll still have to be short, ok?’

Alya nodded, almost vibrating with excitement. Her phone had been out since she called them, and neither hero had any doubts she was livestreaming the whole thing.

‘Ok! Um, first off: While it was never officially announced by either of you, there seemed to be some areas where only one would patrol, but this is no longer true as of last Tuesday. Can you tell me why these areas used to be restricted, and what caused this change?’

Ladybug looked at her best friend, and squashed any lingering guilty. She had to do this.

‘Those areas used to be a precaution; on days Chat couldn’t patrol, I would make sure his place was safe, and he would do the same for me. We didn’t tell each other where exactly we lived, but picked three areas; two decoys plus the real one. This is no longer needed, though I rather not tell you why on camera.’

‘...so you’ll tell me later if I turn it off and tell no one?’

Ladybug pinched the bridge of her nose.

‘Alya, no. It’s dangerous to let a civilian know too much. I won’t be telling you no matter what.’

Alya pouted slightly, but dropped it - for now, at least.

‘Alright! Another thing that’s been the hot topic between your fans is your new look! This was the first time since your debut that any of you had a style change, and while it is absolutely stunning on you, we’re all wondering why you traded your signature haircut for Chat’s. Why was that?’

Chat snickered, grabbing Alya’s attention.

‘My dearest lady lost a bet with yours truly. One of my plans took an akuma out faster than hers did, so she got her hair styled like mine. She did make me wait a bit on that, but she delivered.’

Ladybug did her best to reign in a smile, rolling her eyes instead. Alya, however, had a really important question.

‘So that means that if she won, you’d have pigtails?’

Both heroes blinked, looked at each other, and couldn’t help but laugh; Chat with her pigtails was one heck of a mental image.

‘Yeah, guess I’ll have to make that bet again soon, right Chaton?’

Chat winked, waving her dismissively

‘So I can win again? I think you’d rock the cat ears, Bugaboo’

She poked his bell, smirking.

‘I won’t let you win next time, Chaton’

‘Please, we both know you’re too competitive to let anyone win’

They stood, smirking and eyeing each other, Alya’s giggle breaking the moment. Coughing slightly, Ladybug turned to her friend, smiling.

‘You got one last question, Alya. We should be going soon.’

She smirked at the heroes.

‘When can both of you give me a longer interview?’

There was a pause before both heroes laughed again, amused by their friend. Smiling, they promised to get in contact sometime next week to set a date. Satisfied, Alya wished her heroes good luck, saying her goodbyes to the camera and ending the stream. She watched as Ladybug and Chat Noir leaped away, smile on her face; interviewing them always made her giddy.

Especially when they gave hints about their identities.


	12. Keeping Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...NOT DEAD YET
> 
> I'm still a bit stressed out and with too much on my plate, but it's a bit better and I have two weeks off, the first of which I just. Chilled. Non-stop. But I went back to writing yesterday and finished this chapter, and I'm starting the next one today (making no promises but hopefully I can try to give this thing a schedule :') )
> 
> I love all of you and thank you for the kudos and comments (seriously they made it easier to face the storm my life became, so <3 <3 )

‘That went well! Good job, kitty’

Chat laughed, easily keeping up pace with Ladybug as they chatted away the rest of their patrol (might as well do a proper one, after all).

‘You too, my lady. Now, tell me your honest opinion: why would I look better in pigtails than you?’

Ladybug rolled her eyes, grin on her face. She hooked her yoyo on a lamppost, relishing in the feeling of flying through the air.

‘I have no doubt they would look great on you, but please. I’m the one who rocks the look. Or rocked, at least’

Chat seemed to ponder that a bit.

‘Do you miss them? I know it hasn’t even been a week yet, but from the way Nino talked on Tuesday, it had been a really long time since you had short hair, no?’

Ladybug hummed, considering his question.

‘I guess so. It’s different, and I can’t say I would have cut it if it wasn’t my last option, but it’s not really bad. I think I’m going to grow it out again, but I’m not sure yet. Nino’s right, it’s been years, and it was still a bit longer than this’

‘You’ve known him for a long time, no? Why weren’t you two as close as you are now?’

Ladybug shrugged mid air, glancing at Chat.

‘To be honest, I was way more quiet before. Not that I disliked anyone or they disliked me - well, except Chloé, I guess. But it was more that we were acquaintances than friends. Alya was the one that gave me courage to speak up more. You did, too’

Chat Noir faltered, yelping when he almost missed a jump. Seeing that, Ladybug decided they should probably pause for a bit, and landed on a nearby roof, sitting down.

‘I did? How? When?’

Ladybug chewed on her lip, not particularly proud of her first day suited up. She did learn to forgive herself for those mistakes, but it didn’t make them pleasant to talk about.

‘That first day we fought an akuma, you put your trust and faith in me. You cheered me up when I messed up, and reassured me when I needed. I didn’t really have much confidence before that; being as clumsy as I am, having Chloé always on my case, having my crafts not come out like I wanted them to over and over again, it all had taken its toll on me and I hadn’t even noticed. I mean, now I see I had no reason to be as unsure of myself as I was, and that making mistakes is part of learning and bettering myself, but I didn’t have that mindset back then. Alya encouraged me to stand up for myself and others, and you helped me forgive my own mistakes’

Chat Noir was quiet, taking it all in. Silently, he reached his hands, gently holding Ladybug’s.

‘I… I’m honestly baffled, and I’m not really sure what to say. I can’t quite put all I’m feeling in words, but… I’m glad I was able to help you back. And I’m so happy to know you’re better, though I’d still give the world for you to see yourself from my eyes just once; you’re absolutely amazing, my lady. Thank you, for being kinder to yourself and not giving up on Stoneheart’

Ladybug took one of her hands back, scratching her cheek.

‘I sorta did though. I tried to pass the earrings along. I went from feeling proud at helping, to having the rug pulled from my feet the next. The shaky confidence I had broke, and I just couldn’t see how I’d ever be a proper hero. I thought Paris would be better off with someone else in my place, and I picked Alya, even managed to sneak the box inside her bag. But when Stoneheart came back, she left it in the class in favor of racing after the akuma, and when I grabbed it and followed her, I saw you on one of the golems’ hands, and her trapped between a car and a wall. So I put the earrings back on, and just... did it, I guess? Turns out the best way to do something you’re absolutely sure you are not cut out for and is doomed for failure is just plunging through it despite the nasty voice in your head”

She finished with a wry smile, nervous. But she knew it had to be said; their trust should grow, and they really had to be more open about their flaws; she noticed Adrien seemed to be as lovestruck for Ladybug as she was for him, and it didn’t seem healthy (Tikki made that very clear for her… She needed to talk to him about it, but she didn't feel ready yet. Opening up step by step, taking advantage of moments like this, was her way of easing herself into this conversation)

Chat Noir looked deep in her eyes, and Ladybug could tell he was thinking of how to best express what was on his mind. She knew the face he was making and the time he was taking to reply meant he was serious about his answer and that she should take it to heart, whether she liked it or not.

‘Ladybug, I can see in your eyes you’re nervous and scared. I need you to know I don’t think any less of you for it. There is no shame in saying something may be too much for you, and while I’m really glad you kept the miraculous, I would never hold it against you if you had not put them back. We were chosen, but that never meant we had to accept it. It is dangerous, and honestly seems to be way too much responsibility for us at times, especially for you who has to purify the butterflies, and no one should judge you for being scared of it. I’m sure by now you noticed you’re more than capable of being the best hero there could be, but being capable of something and being able to handle it are different things and only you can decide that. Heck, even if you were just not wanting to deal with it would be a valid reason. To be honest, yes I love helping people, but the best part of being a hero and what makes it more than worth it to do it is both the freedom it gives me and being partnered with you. Selfish reasons, but I doubt you think any less of me for it, am I wrong?’

Ladybug shook her head; she knew how much he loved being a hero, and if one of the people he was helping happened to be himself, that was more than alright in her book.

‘See, that’s what I mean. You’re just as amazing as before in my eyes, maybe even more. It’s really brave of you to have faced your fears and insecurities to help me and Alya. Thank you for that, Bugaboo’

Well. That certainly backfired on gently making him realize her faults, but a weight she never noticed seemed to lift from her shoulders. She smiled, squeezing the hand still in hers, feeling better than she had in quite some time, if she were to be honest.

‘Thank you, minou. I think I needed to hear that’

To her, Chat’s answering smile looked like sunshine and felt like a warm breeze. Getting lost in it, it took her a couple seconds to remember she had something important she needed to discuss with him.

‘Sorry for changing the subject like this, but… We need a gameplan, Chaton’

Tilting his head to the side, the fake tail swished once, ears facing Ladybug. Chat just nudged his head, silently telling her to go on.

‘Friday is fine, since only one of us has to show up, but… Saturdays are the only day we always do a joint patrol. I’m surprised we managed to fool Alya for this long, but she is bound to get suspicious if we both disappear at the same time… and even if she doesn’t come to the right conclusion, I’m not sure whatever she assumes is happening would be any better’

Chat Noir’s back went perfectly straight, and his eyes were almost as wide as that one time she tested whether or not he would jump after laser dots (the results of that particular experiment was extremely satisfying, but she still wanted to try out the catnip). The quietest curse left his mouth.

‘If we do end up doing this kind of sleepovers weekly or biweekly, it would mean a lot of excuses… I hadn’t thought of that’

Ladybug nodded, knowing he hated lying to his friends as much as she did (though he did had an easier time brushing the guilt aside, having been brought up in the midst of liars. Didn’t mean he cared any less, just that he would cope a bit better than her)

‘We might be able to shift the joint patrol day away from the weekend, but it would only raise more questions than we can answer if we change it right now… We already changed a lot, so it might be better if we do it slowly. Maybe even have one of us miss a patrol, and the other leads Alya somewhere so she gets to ask it on the same day. Being the source of Miraculous news tend to excite her, so it would be a bit easier to sidetrack her’

Chat nodded, tail slowly moving while he pondered about it.

‘We have to figure out a day where we could both be free during the week, though. I know we haven’t done it since we found each other out, but maybe switch the gaming night with the joint patrol? Alya and Nino did seem interested in the game too, so there’s that’

Ladybug thought about it, liking the Chat’s idea. Switching those would be a relatively simple change, and it would mean less lies and less trouble down the road.

Maybe they could even tie this change with the patrol area change. Do a joint patrol this week, one of them solo the next, making sure they mentioned to Alya about a possible day switch, and on the third week they patrolled on wednesday instead of saturday.

Smiling, she voiced it to Chat, who grinned back. Satisfied, they joked around a bit more before resuming patrol, enjoying the rest of their time before going home.

Tomorrow marked another beginning, and both of them couldn’t be more excited.

**Author's Note:**

> It's short bc it was overdue and I had not finished it, so I looked for where to cut what I already wrote and post this since I said Friday and it's already past it. Second chapter should come sooner bc it's partially written, but life can gt in the way.
> 
> I want to have a schedule for this one, and aim to have chapters at least 1k long, but that will depend on how fast I can get used to writing again, and how much I can do without getting in the way of uni.


End file.
